Forgotten Coast Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

Dawn Lee McKenna's Forgotten Coast series is a masterclass in atmospheric Southern noir, blending character-driven drama with small-town police investigations. While there are twelve books in the collection, readers generally choose between two distinct reading paths: publication order or chronological order. We highly recommend starting with publication order to experience the mystery, character growth, and suspense exactly as the author originally designed them.

Path 1: The Publication Order (Recommended)

Starting with the first published book, Low Tide, allows you to meet Lieutenant Maggie Redmond as a complex, guarded detective and gradually unravel her past alongside the readers who followed the series from the beginning. The prequel novellas, which provide deep backstory on Maggie's early life and career, are best saved for later when you are already invested in the characters.

1. Low Tide (2015)
2. Riptide (2015)
3. What Washes Up (2015)
4. Landfall (2015)
5. Dead Wake (2015)
6. Awash (2016)
7. Apparent Wind (2017)
8. Lake Morality (2018)
9. Squall Line (2018)
10. Overboard (2018)
11. Ebb Tide (2019) (Prequel Novella / Book 0.1)
12. Back of the Bayou (2019) (Prequel Novella / Book 0.2)

Path 2: The Chronological Order

If you prefer a strictly linear timeline, you can start with the prequels. Ebb Tide takes place roughly four years before the events of Low Tide and introduces Maggie Seward (later Maggie Redmond) during her first case. While this path gives you immediate insight into her formative experiences, it can alter the tension and pacing of the early novels.

1. Ebb Tide (2019) (Set four years before Low Tide)
2. Back of the Bayou (2019)
3. Low Tide (2015)
4. Riptide (2015)
5. What Washes Up (2015)
6. Landfall (2015)
7. Dead Wake (2015)
8. Awash (2016)
9. Apparent Wind (2017)
10. Lake Morality (2018)
11. Squall Line (2018)
12. Overboard (2018)

A Deeper Look at the Forgotten Coast Books

The series is set against the backdrop of Apalachicola, Florida, a historic coastal town that becomes a character in its own right. The overarching plot is tightly serialized, meaning major story arcs and character relationships carry over directly from one book to the next.

The Initial Story Arc (Books 1–4)

The first four books function as a cohesive, high-stakes narrative block that must be read in order. In Low Tide, detective Maggie Redmond investigates an apparent suicide on St. George Island, which pulls her into a web of secrets connected to the powerful Boudreaux family. This mystery escalates through Riptide and What Washes Up, leading to a dramatic resolution in Landfall, where Maggie is trapped in a house with a killer during a Category 5 hurricane. Many fans consider this first arc to be the heart of the series' tension.

The Expanding Investigations (Books 5–10)

Following the climax of Landfall, the series pivots toward new mysteries while maintaining Maggie's personal evolution. In Dead Wake and Awash, Maggie deals with the fallout of the storm and fresh homicides. Apparent Wind, Lake Morality, Squall Line, and Overboard continue to develop the town's political struggles, drug trade, and Maggie's complicated romantic ties with Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton and Bennett Boudreaux.

The Prequels (Books 11–12)

Published in 2019, Ebb Tide and Back of the Bayou step away from the current timeline to show Maggie's roots. Ebb Tide highlights her transition to criminal investigator, showcasing her raw determination before the events of the main series hardened her. Back of the Bayou provides additional layers to her personal history in the Florida Panhandle.

The Spin-Off Series: Still Waters Suspense

For readers who want to stay in Dawn Lee McKenna's gritty coastal universe, she co-authored a spin-off series with Axel Blackwell titled the Still Waters Suspense series. Set in Port St. Joe, Florida—just down the road from Apalachicola—this series follows a similar tone of realistic, small-town crime and human drama.

• Dead Reckoning (2017)
• Dead Center (2018)
• Dead and Gone (2019)

The spin-off is best read after finishing at least the first four books of the main Forgotten Coast series, as it shares the same atmospheric landscape and regional law enforcement dynamics.

What to Know Before You Start

McKenna's writing stands out for its realistic dialogue, dry Southern humor, and refusal to rely on graphic violence or explicit content to generate suspense. Often classified as 'clean suspense,' the books focus on psychological depth, moral grey areas, and the resilience of a female detective who is a single mother and a survivor of trauma. Because of the heavy serialization of the main plotlines, reading these books as standalones is not recommended; starting anywhere other than Low Tide (or Ebb Tide if you choose the chronological path) will result in missing crucial context regarding Maggie's past and the complex relationships that define her world.